Two Spanish NGO’s have started a court case against Spain’s capacity market scheme, which they say unnecessarily subsidizes operators of large power plants for billions of euros. Gerard Wynn, independent energy consultant, explains why their arguments are well-founded. According to Wynn, Spain’s capacity mechanism violates EU rules and should be scrapped as soon as possible. This article was first published on the blog of the Institute for Energy … [Read more...]
Europe’s growth rate in offshore wind must triple to get Paris goals into reach
To support the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5°C, Europe will need a CO2-neutral electricity supply by 2045. A target we cannot meet unless we ramp up Europe’s offshore wind capacity, says Michiel Müller from consultancy Ecofys, a Navigant company. The company’s energy experts calculated that the current offshore wind installation rate would have to triple to get this goal within reach. They argue that an integrated … [Read more...]
The trillion dollar question: will renewables displace natural gas?
Bloomberg’s renewable energy affiliate forecasts that wind and solar power will make major inroads into the global market share of natural gas within a decade. This is a crucially important question for major oil companies who are betting their future on gas, writes Managing Director of independent US-based consultancy GSW Strategy Group Geoffrey Styles. But according to Styles, it is likelier that coal, not gas, faces the biggest risk from the … [Read more...]
Carbon-pusher in Chief: Trump’s fossil-fueled foreign policy
Donald Trump’s efforts to promote fossil fuel consumption has become a defining theme of his foreign policy, writes Michael Klare, expert and author of many books on energy and foreign policy. Trump’s words and actions make that all too clear – although the media and most commentators have so far failed to notice. Courtesy Tom Dispatch. … [Read more...]
Carbon capture and storage: too expensive for reducing power sector emissions
The hope that carbon capture and storage (CCS) can ever play a significant role in the reduction of power sector emissions is misplaced, write Jeffrey Rissman and Robbie Orvis of Energy Innovation, a San Francisco-based energy and environmental policy think tank. Coal-fired power is already more expensive than unsubsidized onshore wind and solar PV. Adding CCS will only increase this gap. The subsidies required to bring CCS costs in line with … [Read more...]
The carbon-capture dream is dying
The collapse of a Dutch “clean coal” power project has ended near-term prospects for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in European power generation. That leaves proponents of the technology having to turn instead to smaller, industrial applications, writes energy analyst and consultant Gerard Wynn. But while CCS may make sense on a more limited scale, big problems remain there too, he adds. This article was first published on the blog of the … [Read more...]
How electric vehicles could take a bite out of the oil market
When could peak oil demand be reached? Not as soon as it seems, even with the latest automotive news out of Europe, write Amy Myers Jaffe and Lewis Fulton of the University of California, Davis. Article courtesy The Conversation. (This is the third article in a short three-part series on the latest developments in EVs.) … [Read more...]
Britain to ban new fossil fuel vehicles by 2040
Great Britain will ban all new diesel and gasoline-powered automobiles after 2040. In an announcement on 26 July, Environment Secretary Michael Gove confirmed that vehicles powered solely by fossil fuels will no longer be allowed to be sold by then in Britain, and will instead be replaced by electric vehicles (EVs), writes Gregory Brew of Oilprice.com. Courtesy Oilprice.com. (This is the second article in a short three-part series on EVs that we … [Read more...]
Electric vehicles enter the here and now
The EV market is accelerating, with both governments and major car manufacturers announcing ambitious new targets and initiatives. Jason Mathers of EDF Energy Exchange takes stock of some of the most recent developments and notes that the U.S. is threatening to fall behind Europe and China, thanks to the Trump administration’s short-sighted policies. Courtesy EDF Energy Exchange/Climate 411 blog. (This is the first article in a short three-part … [Read more...]
It’s nonsense to say fracking can be made safe, whatever guidelines we come up with
With companies in the UK (Cuadrilla Resources, Third Energy) getting ready to frack for shale gas, the debate over whether this can be done safely has once again flared up. According to Professor Richard Davies of Newcastle University it is possible to manage and reduce risks, but it is an illusion to believe fracking can ever be completely safe. Courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]
Startup spotters Freerk Bisschop (Rockstart) and Evert Jaap Lugt (Yes!Delft): “Smart meters are already obsolete”
Freerk Bisschop, Director Smart Energy at Rockstart, and Evert Jaap Lugt, Managing Director at Yes!Delft, talk about what they look for in contenders for the New Energy Challenge – and for their own startup programs. They also spotlight some of the trends going on in energy innovation and call on established industry and policymakers to get more involved with startups. “Everything is changing so fast. Things like smart meters are already based on … [Read more...]
The surprising New Energy side of Shell
“With Shell Technology Ventures we position ourselves strategically in many places, so that we can experience first-hand where the energy ecosystem is going, and create options for the future”. An interview with Geert van de Wouw, Managing Director of Shell’s venture capital unit, part of the company’s New Energies division, shows the fascinating new side of the old oil company. Quietly, Shell is getting ready to become a major player in a wide … [Read more...]
Is energy ‘dominance’ the right goal for U.S. policy?
In recent weeks, a new energy buzzword has taken flight from Washington, D.C., making stops in Alaska, North Dakota, Texas, Utah and more: “American energy dominance.” But according to Daniel Raimi, senior research associate at the University of Michigan, this goal is unrealistic and it distracts from the goals that should be shaping U.S. energy policy. Courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]
Is the U.S. close to achieving energy dominance?
If you hadn’t heard, the Trump Administration declared last week to be “Energy Week”, a week during which the President and his senior officials were focusing on the theme of “U.S. Energy Dominance.” Not “energy independence” or “energy security”, both themes past presidential administrations have focused upon. David Blackmon looks at what this means. Article courtesy Oilprice.com. … [Read more...]
Energy wonks have a meltdown over the US going 100 percent renewable. Why?
In the U.S. a furious debate has erupted among academic energy experts about whether the country could run 100% on renewable energy. Joshua D. Rhodes, Postdoctoral Researcher of Energy at the University of Texas, Austin, explains what is going on and offers some thoughts of his own. Courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]
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